Swearing

Swearing

Personally I love to swear. However, I respect some people don’t like it too.

When it comes to SWEARING in life my suggestion is that both sides of the fences respect each other and agree to disagree on this issue.

For me I’m flexible with boundaries around editing SWEARING in my workplace. As an Emotional Fitness trainer my work takes me from rehabs, hospital detoxes, detention centres and jails to corporate boardrooms, football clubs and ladies luncheons. I always ask especially in smaller groups within jails and rehabs if anyone is offended by a woman occasionally SWEARING. I qualify that I would not be SWEARING at anyone, but as a lover of the written and spoken word sometimes is unauthentic for someone like me to not SWEAR for I’d be pretending to be someone I’m not.

I’ve surrendered so many once cherished vices since 1995 when my recovery from drug, cigarette and alcohol addiction commenced. However, SWEARING is one remaining vice, a delightful release, that I’m not willing to totally surrender for the approval of others. If an audience member however, in my workplace, flags they have a problem with it, I’ll respect them and edit myself within that presentation. Few audience members and clients have objected, however it happened in a jail once from an older gentlemen-serving life, he said …

“Love I don’t want to hear a lady like you SWEAR please” so I honoured him, and bleeped myself where necessary.

I don’t ever drop the “C” bomb publicly but must confess I do love the word fuck from time to time, and “bloody” and “shit, shit, shit” and yes the immature ridiculous “poo, bum, wee” I also am very fond of using.

As a parent or elder our integrity and view on SWEARING I’ve found needs to not be hypocritical if we want credibility with younger generations. When my two sons were little boys I had to discuss with them as their detoxing, emotionally fragile, single mother my view on SWEARING, so we made some house rules.

I’ve always agreed with and loved Mark Twains famous quote that suggests …

“There ought to be a room in every house to swear in”. So my boys learned to not SWEAR at loved ones, sometimes they dropped the ball with each other when arguing, but never with me and for that I’ve always been most grateful. I’ve not been a hypocrite and honoured my side of our agreement and never called them a hurtful name nor used a SWEAR word against them. Other people (including my husband) often comment on how respectfully my sons speak to me; they don’t SWEAR at me and never have. They do SWEAR of course in their everyday lives as men as often as they choose, but have stayed true to rules set when they were young to not use SWEAR words hurtfully against a loved one. This is a rule worth considering in the home with loved ones around SWEARING if you, like me, do love to drop the occasional clanger.

Human behaviour studies suggest that people who do use the occasional SWEAR word tend to be viewed as more honest and trustworthy.

So this is an opportunity to reflect on your stance when it comes to SWEARING and to review any house rules you do or don’t have in place with loved ones.

For those reading this that is offended by SWEARING I respect your viewpoint and apologise if this post has offended you in any way. My intention within my writing is never to offend, my intent is to be unashamedly transparent as your Word Vitamin scribe and to simply own up to my personal view and create an opportunity for my readers to explore words as a tool for self-study.

I SWEAR I wish you nothing but love and hope you have a bloody wonderful day.